


DEMA wants to make you forget

by fear_her_blurryface



Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Other, Sexual Harassment, Starvation, Torture, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-22
Updated: 2019-03-08
Packaged: 2019-11-03 20:06:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 15
Words: 11,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17884343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fear_her_blurryface/pseuds/fear_her_blurryface
Summary: Sequel to " If I lose to myself"Even when you leave your old life, it doesn't mean, you don't need to suffer. Cause THEY want to make you forget. AT. ALL. COSTS.





	1. To have no control of your prisoner's cell

"And .. how do I get here?" She asked uncertainly. Nico looked at her more than bored and replied: "You have failed where you come from and were no longer acceptable to the society."  
At that moment, she realized that she no longer knew where she came from. Even worse was the realization that she had forgotten who she was. She looked at the bishop with terrified eyes and asked, "Who am I?"  
"That's no longer important" he replied coldly, adding " you're a number, now. 1402 ". She wanted to protest, but Nico's hard look stifled her intentions.  
The next moment two men entered the room and bowed slightly. "Take her to the blocks of flats, Apartment 118. She's supposed to start to work in the infirmary, tomorrow. Explain everything to her." Then he handed a key to one of the men and they escorted her out of the room. She was wearing nothing but a long gray shirt and started to freeze as her bare feet descended the many cold stone steps. Realizing that they were in a tower, she asked, "What is this tower?"   
"The Tower of Silence," one of her companions replied.  
When they stepped out onto the street, it was empty. Only a few lanterns provided their weak lights for some orientation. Their companions led them through a labyrinth of concrete buildings until they finally entered one of them and the man with the key unlocked an apartment on the first floor. The dim light of the light bulb which was hanging from the ceiling revealed a smal room with a plain bed, a small table, and a drawer. Thin curtains hung from the window rails, which did not really serve as privacy screens. A small adjoining room housed the toilet and shower.   
The man put the key of the apartment on the dresser and said. "I'll be back at 6 o'clock tomorrow and get you to work. Remember the way, because you go back alone." She nodded and her companions left.  
She looked around the gloomy room again, then went to the dresser and pulled it open, hoping to find some clothes in it.  
She was relieved to find that there were 2 pairs of pants, socks underwear T-shirts, 2 sweaters and a parker. Even a hat and fingerless gloves appeared in a corner of a drawer. Next to the dresser she found 1 pair of boots.  
She noticed a simple clock over the front door that told her it was already past 10 in the evening and she decided to lie down, so she would be ready in time, when the man comes back. The blanket of her bed was thin, but kept her warm, surprisingly. The moment she lay down, she fell asleep.

She was done when the man returned the next morning and took her to the infirmary. There was another bishop at the entrance who seemed less intimidating to her than Nico had been. The man bowed slightly in front of him and gave her a clout, as she didn‘t bow her head. "That was not necessary, 18365. I suppose you did not tell her that‘s the custom here."  
The man lowered his eyes and replied "Excuse me, Bishop Lisden. You're right, I forgot."  
" Well, then you should not be so quick to distribute clouts.“ The addressed one nodded eagerly and was visibly happy when the bishop let him go.  
"Follow me" Lisden told her, and they entered the infirmary. A few beds were occupied, and the bishop declared, "Your job will be to look after the sick and keep medical supplies in check.1503 will show you everything."   
She nodded and followed him through the ward and on, through a dark hall. At the end was a large door. Lisden stopped in front of it and explained, "These are my rooms. If you don‘t slip, you never have to enter these room. And what you certainly don‘t want to experience again, is another visit at Bishop Nico in the Tower of Silence. "She looked at him questioningly, but his expression made it clear that he didn‘t intend to explain her further details.  
The door of the ward opened and a young woman in her 30s approached the two. She bowed slightly and asked, "What can I do for you, Bishop Lisden?" "1503, that's 140219. She's been assigned by Bishop Nico for our ward. Show her everything. "  
She nodded and was about to go back with 1402 to the infirmary when Lisden added "What I forgot to mention is, that in Dema there is only food for you when you are decent. If your work isn‘t satisfying, it will affect your food ration. And if you refuse to work, it will not only result in food deprivation but also have other consequences.“   
She nodded again and Lisden gave them to understand that they could leave.


	2. I'm refusing the lesson

The work was easy to learn and within no time she was used to doing her job. The food consisted of different stews with bread and every now and then there was even some fruit. She always took a different route to her apartment, and so she explored little by little the city she knew so little. High walls surrounded DEMA where there was neither entrance nor exit. The sky was always covered with lead gray clouds. And the omnipresent vultures had everything in view. In 1503 she had said that the vultures were the DEMAS guards, who reported to the bishops when irregularities occurred. When she asked her colleague what those irregularities were, she received no answer.  
That night, she stroked the deep scars on her right arm again, wondering where she got her from. As much as she tried to remember, everything stayed black.  
When she entered the infirmary the next day, she found a new patient. It was a little girl, about 8 years old. When she changed her bandage, the girl said, "I'm 437. And you are?"   
She looked at her in surprise and replied, "I'm 140219." "Could you tell me a story, maybe?" The child asked with big puppy eyes. She really would have liked, but she couldn‘t remember anything.   
"I'm really sorry, but unfortunately I do not know any stories."   
"Then I'll tell you one," the girl said and started: "Well, there are these people, the banditos and they know where the sun lives. The bishops don‘t like them at all, because the banditos always take people with them, or come here to steal food and other things. Then they have to go after them and try to catch them, to punish them. The banditos have yellow clothes, which the bishops don‘t like, and least of all, they can suffer their yellow flowers. "  
She couldn‘t stop to wonder. "That was a strange story," she commented.   
"She is not weird!" Protested the girl. "The banditos are real, but most residents are scared of them because they do not want to get into trouble with the bishops."   
"Okay, okay .." she said, raising her hands defensively. A soft grunt was heard and she looked at the child, questioningly. "Sorry, I'm just so hungry." The girl said, blushing slightly.   
140219 smiled and said, "Let's see what I can do for you, okay?"  
After returning from lunch, she pulled out an apple under her worn sweater and held it out to the girl. Her eyes began to radiate with joy as she took the apple and she bit into it. She chewed on her first bite with pleasure, but then suddenly she turned pale and pointed behind 140219.  
Even before she knew what was happening, she was torn from her feet with a blow. She hit the floor and the next moment she saw Nico standing over her. "Well, I see you're getting too much food, do you?."   
"What? Why? "She asked confused, receiving the next punch. "Because you obviously give it away."  
The bishop grabbed her by the collar and dragged her to her feet. Then he pushed her along the hall towards the rooms of Lisden. He knocked on his door and when he opened, he threw her to his feet and said, "You should keep an eye on this subject here."  
He told him what had happened while 140219 was lying crouched on the floor between the two bishops. Lisden gave her a stern look and replied to Nico: "The rule that you can not share food has not been provided to 140219 yet. But, I see, you made that clear to her.   
"Then he turned to her and said," And so you will not forget it again, no food for the next two days for you. "As she looked at the bishop, she meant to see something like regret in his eyes. She nodded and he let her go.  
"I'm so sorry," the little girl said when she saw 140219 coming back and began to cry. "You don’t need to be" she replied. She reached under her sweater again and pulled out an piece of bread. "I wanted to give it to you before Nico said hello in his charming way."   
The girl looked at her in disbelief. Then she smiled and said softly, "Thank you." 140219 smiled back, tearing her lip open again, that Nico had beaten bloody.  
\---  
As she lay exhausted in bed that night, she hoped for a deep sleep. But instead she began to dream ....

She was in a forest. The warm summer breeze stroked over her skin and the sun let the shadows of the trees create whimsical pictures. She heard birds chirping, but there was something else. "Georgie!" called someone from far away. "Georgie, where are you?" She heard the voice again. She followed the voice and shortly thereafter, she saw two young men standing in a clearing looking around. The next moment she met the gaze of one of the men and held her breath. His amber eyes lit up and a relieved smile began to form on his lips.  
A second later, she was brutally torn from her sleep, by the alarm clock and the gray lonely Tristesse of DEMA welcomed her back.


	3. You're an Angel fallen down

While the others went to dinner, she decided to go to the medical supply room and mend bed sheets to distract herself from her gnawing hunger.  
When she entered the room she suddenly heard a rustle. She thought it was nothing and turned into the corridor with the sheets. The next moment she froze in shock. In front of her stood a hooded man, whose olive green hoodie displayed an asymmetrical yellow St. Andrew's cross. His face was mostly hidden by a yellow bandana and only his eyes could be seen. And these were the ones that scared them the most. She knew those eyes. These beautiful almond-shaped eyes that glowed like warm amber.  
She did not know what to do and looked around helplessly. "Please do not betray me", she heard him say softly. His voice was like liquid silk, softening her heart and knees.   
"What do you need?" She asked and he looked at her in surprise. But then he caught himself and replied, "bandages, compresses, antibiotics, painkillers." She collected the utensils and helped him pack this things in his backpack. "What's your name?" She asked him on the occasion. "Josh" was his answer. She made big eyes. "You don‘t have a number?"   
"I also had one, but then I remembered my name." She looked at him in surprise. "Thanks for your help," he said and was out the window. She stood in the front of the window for a while, trying to understand what had just happened.

She had really met a bandito. So they actually existed. And they had names. She had to remember her dream and the name the man had called. Could it be? Was that her name? And how was it that Josh was so like this man in her dream? It all had something to do with it. She just didn‘t know what.

She took a few sheets and went back to the ward, as if nothing had happened. A short time later, Lisden appeared and stopped in front of her. She bowed her head slightly in greeting, and he asked "140219, have you noticed anything unusual?"   
"No, Bishop Lisden" she replied. He looked at her thoughtfully and walked off to the medicine warehouse.  
She was about to fix one of the beds when the bishop grabbed her arm and pulled her with him. Arriving in his rooms, he opened another door and they entered a small room with a dim light. On a simple bunk lay a young man who was badly beaten and she caught her breath.  
She looked shocked at Lisden, who said, "That's what Nico does to someone who breaks the rules of DEMA."   
The young man was covered with hematomas and cuts and his right arm seemed to be broken. "What did he do?" She asked quietly. "He tried to escape - again."   
Then the bishop looked at her urgently and asked again: "Are you sure that you haven‘t noticed anything at noon?"  
She suddenly realized what this all meant. This was a threat. She was already deciding to tell Lisden what had happened when her gaze fell on the young man on the bunk. His brown eyes were drawn with pain, but behind, burned a passionate fire that impressed her deeply. So she answered, "I'm sure"  
The bishop sighed and replied, "How unfortunate." The next moment, Nico entered the room and gave her a devastating look that made her freeze. "Do you really think you can fool us, 140219?" She wanted to say something, but Nico hit her in the face, causing her to crash on the ground. Then he grabbed her neck and held her up, and she was desperately gasping for air. "We're having a private conversation now" he growled, dragging her out of the room.


	4. Holding on to you

When she returned hours later, she was in so much pain, she could hardly stand on her feet. She knocked at Lisden's door, as Nico had told her. When the bishop answered the door, he said to her: "I hope, you fully understand now, that we don‘t tolerate any disloyal behavior." She nodded and he continued, " Your task for now will be, to take care of our special patient. Don’t dare to show him any form of empathy. Is that clear? "  
She nodded again. "One more thing," he added, "No food for you for the entire next week." Then they entered the room together.  
The young man looked up in surprise from his cot when he saw them enter. "11288, 140219 will take care of you for now." Then he turned away and left the room.  
She fetched a bowl of water and a sponge and knelt down in front of his bunk. The man didn‘t fail to notice that she was in great pain and he asked, "What did Nico to you?"   
But she just shook her head silently and began to clean his wounds. After tapeing them up, she said simply "I‘ll bring you food," and got up and left the room. A little later, she came back with a bowl of soup and bread and sat down beside his cot. "Can you eat by yourself, 11288?" She asked. He looked at her and raised his bandaged fingers: "Hm, I don‘t know. I can try it. And, um ... my name is Tyler. "She didn‘t respond to his comment, but when she saw that he had great difficulties holding the spoon, she began to feed him. "What about you?" Tyler asked when he was full. "Not hungry" He looked at her thoughtfully and said: "Hey, you don‘t have to fool me. I know from personal experience that the bishops like to punish people with food deprivation. "She just shrugged and brought the dishes back to the kitchen.

She was glad when she reached her apartment that evening. She took a shower and watched the red-colored water disappear into the sink. As she dropped onto her bed and pulled the thin blanket over her trembling body, she wished she could sleep until her wounds had healed.

This night she dreamed again:

This time she found herself under a tree. She saw groups of people standing in the distance. No one seemed to pay any attention to her and she was still wondering at what kind of place she was, when a voice said softly „Georgie, are we dreaming again?" She turned to the voice in surprise, and froze. In front of her the Patient from Lisden's room was standing. Her jaw dropped and she stammered, "Ty-Tyler?" The young man smiled and said: Yeah, that's right. Reality isn‘t your friend today, can it be? "  
" Looks like"she replied, her brain still desperately trying to understand what was happening. "Who has problems with reality?" asked a silky voice, which she recognized immediately. Next to Tyler, Josh appeared and looked at her with warm eyes. "Our Georgie here" Tyler replied, grinning. Josh sat down next to her under the tree. However, when they saw that she was getting insecure, Josh said: "Nah, who needs reality?" Tyler took the hint "You’re right. Reality is overated" She lowered her eyes, still trying to understand what that was all about. But then she felt soft fingers brush against her cheek and Josh said gently to her "Georgie, you know you can trust Tyler and me, right?" She looked at him and the affection she saw in his eyes was sheer overwhelming. When she was about to reply, everything went black around her. When she opened her eyes, she was greeted with a new gray morning in DEMA.

Her whole body groaned as she sat up. As she lowered her head, something fell from her hair, suddenly. A yellow gerbera landed on the ground. She picked her up and looked around, confused. There was no one to see and she hurried to hide the flower in the dresser.

She entered Bishop Lisden's rooms with Tyler's breakfast and bowed her head in greeting as she passed. He gave her a strange look she didn‘t know how to interpret and was glad when she entered Tyler's room. She first thought he was still asleep, but when she put the tray next to him, she saw that he was shivering and sweating. Carefully, she put her hand on his forehead. It was burning hot. Highly concerned she turned back, to inform Lisden about Tyler's condition.  
"Bishop Lisden?" She said carefully as she entered his study room. He looked up and told her to continue. "11288 has a high fever. We should do something about it, if he has to survive. "  
"So? Should we? "he commented sarcastically. "Well, how do you plan to do that without antibiotics?" Her face went pale. "Since you thought you were giving our antibiotic reserves to this damn Bandito, it's up to you to take responsibility for this further consequence."   
She nodded and was about to turn away when the bishop added, "However, I must confess that these events involve some justice. The action of one Bandito takes another Bandito's life." She froze. So Tyler was one of them. No wonder he was kept away from the other patients.  
When she was back in his room, she immediately began to soak cloth rags in water and put them around his calves and on his forehead. The next few days and nights, she left Tyler's room just to get him food.  
After all, her care and the will of the young man were intense enough to let him survive the fever.  
"Thanks" he whispered, when he could think clearly, again. "You’re welcome" she replied, looking tired, but relieved.  
The next moment Lisden entered the room and looked at them, inquiringly. "So, you have managed to save him from the abyss of death," he spoke up to 140219. She thought it‘s wiser not to answer and therefore she nodded slightly.   
"Well, then your service here is over and you can start your regular work in the infirmary." She nodded again and took a last look at Tyler, who was looking back, sadly.


	5. Why am I not scared in the morning?

When she came back to her apartment that evening, she was completely run down. The wounds that Nico had inflicted had become inflamed and the starvation didn‘t make the situation any better. She just wanted to shower and go to bed. As she stepped out of the tiny bathroom in her nightie, her legs gave way suddenly and before she hit her head on the floor, it was already dark night around her.  
Everything felt surreal when she suddenly felt like floating. As hard as she tried to dispel the fog that paralyzed her mind, she had little success. Therefore, she got only a fraction of what was happening around her.  
Strong arms laid her on her bed gently and a silky voice murmured reassuringly words to her. She felt a pleasant coolness, as gentle fingers began to apply something to her wounds. The scent of moss and earth rose in her nose and for a brief moment she managed to open her eyes. Warm Amber-colored almond eyes met hers and Josh smiled softly as he whispered, "Fall asleep again, you'll need strength," and gently stroked her hair. Her exhaustion tore her back into a deep sleep.  
The next morning she thought that all of this was just a strange dream, but she felt way better. Her wounds looked significantly better and she could still feel the slight smell of moss and earth. When she looked at the dresser, there was something wrapped in scraps of cloth. She carefully threw the cloth back and found two edges of bread in it. She saw immediately that it was not the kind of bread that was served in DEMA. It had a slightly greenish tinge and as she smelled it, she realized it was made of moss flour. She broke off a bit and stowed the rest in the dresser, where she was still hiding the yellow gerbera. She smiled and tenderly stroked the filigree petals before making her way to work.

The days passed and she managed to avoid any trouble. When she sat at the canteen at lunchtime table one day, someone sat down next to her suddenly. She looked up from her bowl of soup in surprise and looked into Tyler's chocolate brown eyes. "I hope it's okay if I sit next to you?" He asked. "Sure" was her brief answer. "Um, I never really had the chance to thank you for your sacrificial care," he began. "Never mind. It's my job "she replied.   
Tyler looked at her thoughtfully and said, "What you did was more than just your job. Lying in bed with his patient to warm him, or sleeping on the bare floor next to him to be there for him at all times is clearly not one of the things your job involves."   
She blushed and was replying in a annoyed tone: "I was told by Lisden to take care of you and I did. It was not really important to him that you survive, but it was important to me. So if you want to complain now about surviving, just say it. "  
To their surprise, he started to grin and replied "So maybe there's a little rebel in you ?! That's good to know."   
She looked perplexed at him and then said softly "Maybe." "Why did you have your 'conversation' with Nico?" He asked. "I helped an bandito." Tyler nodded. "Do you know his name?"   
"Josh." He started grinning even wider and replied, "No wonder Nico was freaking out so much"  
" Why?"  
"Josh is the leader of the banditos and the bishops would sell their souls - if they had some - to get their hands on him." This made her smile and she replied, "Yeah, I can imagine it."


	6. But it takes someone to come around to show you how

The lunch break was over, but before they parted, Tyler asked, "Um, would you like to meet me tonight?"   
"Yes, sure" she replied with a smile, and they agreed that Tyler will come around, later. She gave him her address and they parted finally.  
Shortly before her shift ends, Lisden came to the ward. He stopped beside her and she nodded slightly in greeting.  
"I'd like to exchange a few words with you, 140219"   
She followed him into his room, wondering with slight panic what she had done wrong again, mistakenly. As she closed the door behind them, she turned to face the bishop, she froze. He was staring at her from top to bottom with a hungry look.   
"Well, 140219, you have proven in recent days that you are quite capable of being an efficient member of our society. I hope, thanks to Nicos lesson and my corrective actions, you are now fully aware that this is clearly the better way to survive." While Lisden was speaking, he had come closer to her and she had backed away in fear, till she was standing with her back to the wall, finally. She had her eyes turned to the ground, but the bishop took her chin and forced her to look him in the eye.  
She saw pure lust in his eyes and would love to dissapear in the wall behind her. Lisden squeezed his body against hers as he leaned forward and whispered in her ear, "Remember one thing: we're always right." She felt sick as she felt his hard member rub against her body.   
"Yes, Bishop Lisden," she answered in a trembling voice.  
"That's good, then" he replied, pulling away from her and letting her go.

She flinched when there was a knock at her door. When she answered it, Tyler stood in front of her, smiling shyly at her. It was only then that she remembered that they had made an appointment and said, "I’m so sorry, I forgot about you, completely"  
He looked at her in confusion and asked, as he entered, "Did something happen this afternoon?"   
Seeing her begin to tremble, was already enough of an answer for him and he hugged her, brushing over her back reassuringly. "Saho Folina" he whispered softly in her ear. "What?"   
"That's the reputation of the banditos in Trench when they need someone" Tyler explained. "So, what happened?"  
She broke away from him and replied, "Lisden has become intrusive." His expression hardened and he replied, "That bastard" and pulled her back into a hug.   
"How did you escape from DEMA?" She asked him.   
He looked at her with a smile and replied, "There is a secret passage the bishops know nothing about."  
"How is it in Trench?"  
" We are free. Free to think and feel. The banditos respect each other and are there for each other. "  
She heard Tyler's stomach grumble, so she reached into the dresser and handed him an edge of the green shimmering bread. He looked at her in surprise and asked, "Where did you get that?" She told him about the events, which were already a while ago.   
Tyler smiled and said, "Yeah, that's Josh. He doesn‘t forget anyone who helped him. You can be sure he keeps an eye on you. "  
"Well, maybe he should rather keep an eye at the bishops instead to waste his attention to me." He looked at her seriously and replied: "It is never a waste to help someone who manages to don‘t forget, what empathy and decency means. Even in DEMA" and after a short break he asked:" Do you have dreams at night? "She looked at him in surprise "Yes. They are strange. I see 2 men in them, who look like you and Josh and I can‘t understand it, because I had those dreams before I met both of you."  
"Dreams don‘t following logic, but they do contain a truth that doesn‘t always open up to us, immediately" commented Tyler. "Um, in these dreams I am called by a name."  
He smiled and asked, "What's it?"  
"Georgiana."  
He smiled wider and replied, "Then you've recovered an important part of yourself, Georgiana. However, you should be careful that the bishops don‘t notice."   
Georgiana looked at him and replied:" I think Lisden suspects something. "  
"Just try to behave as inconspicuously as possible. The bishops became very angry when they learn that residents of DEMA are starting to remember "Tyler replied. He said goodbye a short time later and when Georgiana went to bed, she lay awake for a while, thinking about his words.


	7. Will they be alive tomorrow?

The next few days she managed to avoid Lisden. He was barely there and when he crossed the ward, he was in deep thoughts. Georgiana didn‘t know what to think about it, but a sense of unease warred in her heart that it meant no good.  
Two days later, a quake shook DEMA, which was accompanied by explosions. Georgiana and the others looked out the windows to see the cause of this disaster. A little later, a man stormed into the ward and shouted, "The damned banditos blew up the neon gas pipeline! But the bishops are already at their heels. "  
Georgianas heart almost stopped. 'I hope they don‘t get' em‘ she thought to herself.  
The first victims of the explosion were taken to the infirmary shortly thereafter. The patients had no serious injuries but a lot of deep cuts. She was bandaging a woman's hand as she was being violently pulled up from her chair by someone. Lisden had painfully grabbed her upper arm and pulled her toward his room. Once there, he hit her in the face and grunted: "Where is 11288?"   
She looked at him in surprise, and answered: "I don‘t know where Ty .." At that moment, she was hit by another slap and Lisden hissed: "Names are non-existent in DEMA!" She lost her balance, banging her head against the desk, and lost consciousness.  
When Georgiana wakes again, she found herself in a dungeon. She lay on a table and her arms and legs were chained. Terrified, she realized that she was naked except for the panties. A door opened and Lisden entered the room. "I'm really very disappointed with you, 140219" he said as he approached the table and looked her up and down.   
"Neither I nor any other bishop appreciates trying to fool us. She looked at him in fear and replied, "Bishop Lisden, I don‘t know what you mean" he smirked at her and answered, "So? Well, then I'll enlighten you. "  
He leaned over her and their faces were only inches apart as he continued "I know you're dreaming. I know you started to remember. And I know also, that you are interested in the banditos. I knew it even before it was clear to you. "  
She didn‘t answer, knowing that Lisden was right on all counts. Her reaction seemed to satisfy him. He straightened up and started slowly to walk around the table. The bishop touched her trembling body here and there with his cold fingers, as he went on to elaborate, "The problem is, that these flawed thoughts and feelings have settled deep inside you. And that requires a special kind of treatment." He pulled out a rod under the table, with two electrodes at the end, were a fine flash of light was building up. Georgiana's eyes widened as she realized it was an electric shocker. She opened her mouth to say something, but Lisden took the opportunity and put a gag in her mouth before holding the shocker to her temple.  
Georgiana's body bucked and thousand pinpricks shot through her body. The gag muffled her screams of pain as the bishop repeated the procedure several times. She looked pleadingly at him to stop, but his sly smile told her that she didn‘t have to reckon on mercy.  
She was about to lose consciousness when she heard Lisden's voice like through cotton wool. "Now 140219, do you remember where 11288 is?" She slowly shook her head in denial. "Well, that's unfortunate" replied the bishop and Georgiana expected the next electric shock. When she didn‘t, she opened her eyes in confusion and saw Lisden standing over her with a fiery sting. The horror of the sight had not quite reached her mind, when the bishop pushed the poker against her ribs. The pain that went through her body was indescribable, and when the smell of burned flesh rose to her nostrils, it was definitely too much, and she lost consciousness.


	8. Sahlo Folina

She awoke hours later at the stone floor of a cell lit only by a dim lightbulb. It was cold and damp and she started to shiver from cold. It caused a new wave of pain explode in her body, and she knew that Lisden had used the poker more than once. Tears began to run down her cheeks and she hoped Tyler was safe and sound. Even if she knew where he was, she wouldn‘t have told the bishop, knowing he would face the same fate, if not worse. A shaky sigh escaped her and she whispered softly, "Sahlo Folina," before she lost consciousness again.  
How long she has been Unconscious this time, she couldn‘t say, as she was brought through the creaking of a door, back to reality. She opened her eyes slightly and saw only the hem of a wine-red robe, before a hand touched her throat hard and pulled her up. She expected to see Lisden's sardonic grin, but it was Nico's cold eyes staring disparagingly at her. He pushed her against the wall of the cell and rumbled, "Where is 11288?" She shook her head slightly negative and seconds later she was hit by Nico's fist in the face, and she banged her head hard against the cell wall.  
The bishop dropped her to the ground in surprise when suddenly a voice said from behind, "Tyler is busy right now. But he sends you his best wishes. "  
Nico turned around to the speaker and saw Josh grinning broadly at him. "You dare .." he began and approached the bandito, but the next moment he was hit with something hard from behind and he slumped unconscious to the ground. Another bandito came to the fore and said, "The cast-iron pan is really good. We'll take it with us "and grinned at Josh. He grinned back, before he leaned down to Georgiana. She was unconscious and still almost naked. He took off his hoodie and slipped it over her body, then picking her up and leaving the cell.

The first Georgiana noticed was a pleasantly cool breeze that gently stroked her face. The air smelled of moss and earth and ... freedom. She slowly opened her eyes out of fear that this could only be a cruel trick of the bishops. But as soon as her eyes got used to the light, she was amazed.  
She lay on a cot in a tent. The wind played softly with the tarpaulin at the entrance and released the view to outside for brief moments. She couldn‘t get enough of the living green that glowed from outside.  
The next moment a shadow appeared at the entrance and she recoiled in shock. Instantly pain exploded in all the places where Lisden had treated her with the poker and she couldn‘t suppress a groan. Josh entered the tent and his smile faded as he saw Georgiana's pained face. "Are you okay? I'm sorry if I scared you. I thought you were still asleep. "He put a kidney dish with bandages and ointment on a box beside her bunk and sat down carefully on the edge of the simple bed. He handed her a glass of water that she gratefully accepted and emptied in one go. She looked at him shyly as she returned the glass and thanked him softly. He smiled encouragingly at her and the warmth in his eyes gave her the courage to ask, "Where ... where am I?" Josh's smile widened and he replied, "You're in Trench."   
"But ... but how did I get here?"  
"I borrowed Nicos horse" she heard a familiar voice answer for Josh and turned her head towards the exit. Tyler entered the tent and grinned at least as wide as Josh did. He held a bowl of soup in his hands and placed it next to the bandage. "Glad you're awake Georgie," he said, while she was still trying to catch up the thing with the horse.   
"How long have I been sleeping?" She asked after she had caught herself again.   
"4 days" Josh replied, adding, "You should eat something first."  
Another bandito poked his head in the tent and asked Josh to come along. With a mute smile, he rose to his feet and followed the other young man. Tyler took Josh's place on the edge of the bed and held out the soup bowl. She took it hesitantly and stared into the murky liquid. "Should I help you with your meal?" Tyler asked, looking worried as his friend made an absent impression, suddenly.

... A smiling Josh with a piece of pizza ... her own laugh ... 'Seriously, you want to feed me?' Her voice echoed in her head ... 'Yup, I want' answered an even wider grinning Josh ....

"Georgie, Georgie, are you okay?" a voice starts to ring in her mind, and as she blinked, a worried-looking Tyler sat in front of her, who had intercepted the soup bowl, which was in danger of slipping out of her lap.   
"Um, I think so". Her friend wasn‘t convinced, but he didn‘t press it further. She began to eat hesitantly and although the soup was really good and she hadn‘t eaten for days, she didn‘t want to be hungry. In the meanwhile Tyler had left the tent, to get her some clothes and new water.  
When he returned to the tent, Georgiana asked, "Ty, do you have something like déjà-vus? He looked at her in surprise and answered after a while, "Sometimes. Was that why you were so absent earlier? "She nodded silently.   
" Do you want to talk about it?"  
„No. I need to figure it out by myself in the first place“.  
Tyler nodded understandingly and added: "Um, I would like to take care of your wounds now" Georgiana got big eyes and blushed bright red.  
"Dear, you really don‘t need to worry. Me and Josh have also taken care of your wounds the last few days. "She gasped and her face blushed even more. As Tyler took a step towards her she jerked back and immediately regretted it. The pain exploded again on all the maltreated sites and she couldn‘t suppress a groan. Her friend looked at her sympathetically and said placatingly, "Georgie, you really don‘t need to be afraid. You know you can trust me and Josh, right? "  
"Yes," she answered softly and let Tyler grant. Her friend did his best to be as careful as possible. But in the end, still tears were streaming down her face. "I'm sorry, for being so pathetic" she whispered, trying to bury her face in the pillow. "You don‘t need to be sorry, Georgie" Tyler replied, stroking her hair reassuringly. It wasn‘t long before she fell back into a deep sleep from exhaustion. Tyler sat next to her and cursed Lisden quietly for his sadism.


	9. I don't understand why everything I adore

"Hey Ty, how's Georgiana?" Josh asked as he entered the tent. He put his index finger to his lips and the bandito fell silent. Quietly he sat down on a box and looked at the young woman thoughtfully. "She was in a lot of pain while changing bandages and soon fell asleep from exhaustion" reported his friend. After a while, Josh replied "The next time we visit DEMA we'll stop by at Lisden."

The next morning Georgiana was awakened by a ray of sunshine that danced over her face. She blinked and sat up carefully. Her body protested, but the pain was far more bearable than it was yesterday. She picked up the clothes Tyler had put on a box. After she managed to put on the camouflage leggins and the olive hoodie, she decided that was enough clothing. She just wanted to take a quick look outside. As she stepped carefully out of the tent, her breath caught. The sun was just emerging in all its beauty behind a mountain and dipped the landscape in a golden glow. Georgiana couldn‘t remember when she had last seen something so beautiful. Suddenly she heard a giggle and turned around in surprise. At a distance, she saw Josh carrying a bag on his back. He dropped it however, when a young woman came running up to him, hugging and kissing him. The sight struck her and she looked away. As tears began to run down her cheeks, she became angry with herself. How could she just assume that someone like Josh didn‘t have anyone? And most of all, how did she just think he might be interested in her? She felt so stupid. A sense of numbness enveloped her and she decided to take a few steps. The coolness of the grass under her bare feet felt comfortable and she didn‘t notice that she was moving farther and farther away from the Banditos camp. "Georgie!" She suddenly heard someone call and turned around in surprise. Tyler came running up to her. The panic in his face stunned her, but then she heard hoofbeats coming towards her and turned her head again to find out with horror, that Nico was approaching her on his horse. Where the hell did he come from so suddenly? She was unable to move as he reached out to grab her at full gallop. Georgie closed her eyes and expected the inevitable, but nothing happened. When she opened her eyes in surprise, she was wrapped in a rain of yellow petals and saw how the bishop had trouble not falling from his horse when it shied. The next moment, someone grabbed her and dragged her away. She had to blink to realize, that it wasn‘t Tyler who pulled her with him, but Josh. Tyler and a few other banditos were still busy wrapping Nico in a flowering rain until he finally gave up and retired.  
Georgie and Josh were out of breath when they returned to the camp. As soon as Josh could speak again, he asked, "Georgie, what did you do out there on your own?"   
His eyes spoke with genuine concern and she felt so guilty that she lowered her eyes and said, "I ... I ... didn‘t want to cause any trouble. I'm so sorry, Josh."   
She heard him sigh and raised her eyes, expecting him to reprimand her. But instead, he looked at her with a warm smile and replied, "Georgie, you didn‘t cause any trouble and you don‘t have to be sorry."  
"Who is sorry?" Tyler spoke up, who had reached her at that moment. When his gaze fell on Georgie, her intimidating vision spoke volumes. Without hesitation, he hugged her and said softly, "Hey, it's all good. You didn‘t know it was dangerous to leave the camp alone, okay? "  
He squeezed her briefly and she had to use all her willpower not to moan in pain. Instead, she nodded silently and Tyler let her go.   
"Tyler..you have blood on your hands" Josh said worriedly. He looked at his hands in surprise, gleaming dark red. Then both of them looked at Georgiana, who was desperately trying not to turn a tormented face.   
"Oh Georgie, why you didn‘t say I hurt you so much?" Tyler said in dismay. She bit her lip nervously and answered softly, "It’s okay, your hug was worth it."   
The two banditos were speechless for a few seconds. Josh was the first to recover and said, "Love, a friendly gesture shouldn‘t cause any pain. Especially, when it starts to bleed.“ Josh's words triggered something deep in Georgiana and she replied absentmindedly:" Sometimes you gotta bleed to know that you're alive and have a soul .... "

For a fraction of a second, she saw a room in a basement stuffed with music equipment. Then she noticed a couch she was sitting on. The next moment the angle changed and she saw Tyler reading something out of a black notebook. Josh sat next to him on a cajon and listened to him too, deep in thoughts ....

 

"Georgie?" She heard Josh's voice and blinked. The bandito looked at her even more worried than he had before and continued, "Dear, I think it's better to get you back to the tent and treat your wounds first." She nodded and followed him. At the time they reached the tent, her hoodie had been stained with blood patches. Tyler insisted on caring for her wounds, so Josh set out to get new clothes and food for her.  
"Georgie, why were you so far away from the camp?" Tyler asked as he bandaged her wounds. " Josh has asked me the same, already" she replied softly. "I just wanted to go outside. The beautiful sunrise took my breath away and I completely lost track of anything. I simply didn‘t notice that I'm already so far away from the camp."  
Tyler nodded and replied after a while "And nothing has happened?" Her body froze for a millisecond under his hands, before she softly responds "No. I was just totally thoughtless.“ Although her friend couldn‘t see her face, he knew she was keeping something unsaid.   
"Hey, Josh and I told you, not to blame yourself. If someone was thoughtless then I, when I hugged you too tight."  
She turned so quickly that some of her wounds broke open again and started to bleed. "No, Ty. It was okay. Don `t blame yourself. On the contrary: Thank you for this nice gesture. "  
He cocked his head and looked at her seriously. "Georgie, something is definitely wrong with you. Something has upset you this morning. And before ... you had a déjà vu, did you?“ "Yes, I had a déjà vu" she admitted.   
"Do you ..." he started but she cutted him off: "No, I don‘t want to talk about it"   
"Okay", Tyler replied softly and she turned away. The rest of the time, both of them spent in silence, and when he said goodbye to her, he received no answer.  
The moment he stepped out of the tent, he nearly collided with Josh, who had a bowl of soup in his hand and a bundle of clothes squeezed under his armpit. When he saw Tyler's sad face, he raised his eyebrows questioningly. He only grimaced and replied: "Let's talk later". His friend nodded and disappeared into the tent.  
Georgie had fallen asleep from exhaustion and so he put the bundle of clothes on a box. He looked at her thoughtfully for a while before carefully touching her forehead and finding   
out, she was warmer than she should be.


	10. What if my dream does not happen?

The campfire creaked softly and Tyler watched the dancing flames as they slowly turned the wood into ashes. Only when he felt a gentle touch on his shoulder, he awoke from his lethargy. Josh looked at him with a warm smile and Tyler asked, "Did Georgie say anything to you?"   
"No. She had fallen asleep. However, what worries me is that she had elevated temperature when I touched her forehead. I hope it doesn‘t turn into a high fever as we have almost no antibiotics left. "  
Tyler nodded and replied," I'll check on her afterwards. We'll have to visit DEMA again anyway, so we can put the antibiotics on the list right away. "  
" You sound sad, "Josh said." Are you okay with to tell me, what happened to you and Georgiana earlier? "  
" Actually, it's not that really something happened between us. I am sure that something must have happened this morning that really made her sad. That must have felt Nico. You know yourself that the bishops can smell self-doubt, sadness and everything else in between, 10 miles against the wind."  
His friend nodded and replied," I don‘t know if it means anything, but Debby told me, she saw Georgiana, when she has greeted me so lovingly, this morning."  
A smile played around Josh's lips at the memory, but Tyler's face froze.  
"Did I say something wrong?" He asked confused.  
"No" his friend replied. "On the contrary. Did Debby say if Georgiana saw you kissing? "  
"No. She only noticed her after our kiss"  
"Okay, that’s it" Tyler muttered.  
"What is it?" His friend asked confused.  
Tyler sighed and replied, "It's complicated. Back in DEMA, she told me about her dreams. She said she dreams of two men who are simliar to us. Same faces and names. And she had those dreams before she met you and me here. In those dreams, she had a special connection to you, or better said, to this other Josh. "  
" Wow, "the bandito blurted out" That's really weird in some ways."  
Tyler nodded. "What I find particularly disturbing is the intensity those dreams occur in her."  
Both stared silently into the fire for a while before Josh asked cautiously, "So you think Geogiana has feelings for me because there was this other Josh?"   
Tyler looked at him seriously and replied, "Yes. However, it seems to me that this other Josh don’t wasn‘t, but still is." His friend looked at him confused:" What do you mean? " Once I saw a document in Nicos room that described rare cases. There are individuals who can‘t be controlled by them, cause something in their old lives is so strong attached to them that these people can return. The document said the bishops should kill these people before they realize, that they have this opportunity. "  
"Do you think that's the case with her?"  
"She senses that those dreams are more. She calls them Déjà-vus, now. We definitely have to keep an eye on them. If the bishops find out, she‘s being such a rare case, she‘s dead. "


	11. Spirits in the dark are waiting

Georgiana had fallen into a restless sleep. She could feel the heat that started to burn her from the inside out. Images flickered in her mind.

She saw a young man with dark hair and a high forehead. His eyes looked dismissively at her and he said: "Well then I'll tell you something about your dear Joshie here: This is all just a game for him. He cares about you as much as the dirt under his fingernails. I, persuaded him to speak to you. I, pointed out to him, that you were chasing after him, like a lovesick dog. Otherwise, he would never ever have come to approach you! You see, nobody wants you Georgiana, you're nothing then a joke "

His words hit her deeply. The image jumped and she saw Josh, who looked at her incredibly sad. Then everything went black and she sank back into deep darkness.

Tylers heart nearly broke, as he entered the tent and saw Georgiana crying in her sleep. He sat down next to her and took her hand. "Why, Josh?" She whispered softly in a broken voice and now it was Tyler who had a tear running down his cheek.

The birds chirped and a gentle breeze blew through the Bandito Camp, as Josh entered the tent. The moment he saw Tyler, he knew it was serious. He lay on a few compiled boxes next to Georgiana's bunk, covered only with a jute sack. Even in his sleep, he held her hand as if he feared she might dissolve into nothingness. The bandito stepped up to them and laid his hand carefully on Georgiana's forehead. His face twisted in deep concern as he felt the burning heat. Then he put his hand on Tyler's shoulder and shook it gently.  
"What?" He mumbled in surprise and sat up. He ran his free hand over his face and blinked. Then he saw Josh and asked, "Hey, what happened?  
He shook his head and replied, "Ty, I want to talk to you." Tyler gave Georgiana one last look, before reluctantly releasing her hand and following Josh out of the tent.

A little later they sat in the canteen tent with two steaming coffee cups. "I'll go to DEMA with some other banditos. Please keep an eye on the camp."   
Tyler nodded and looked at him worriedly. "I'd like to go with you, you know that, do you?" Josh smiled and replied, "Yes, I know. But we don‘t want to give the bishops to much opportunities to catch both of us at the same time, do we?“ His friend pouted, looked at him doe-eyed and fluttering his eyelashes in response. Josh burst out laughing. "Ty, as seductive as you wink at me, you stay here." He grimaced even more and Josh laughed himself under the table.  
"Do the same to Georgie when she gets better. She will have a sore throat, from laughing" the bandito commented.   
Tyler's face instantly froze and he became deathly serious. His friend also stopped laughing and he asked quietly: "Something happened last night?"   
For a moment, Josh thought his friend would start crying when he answered in a fragile voice: "Yes, in some way. When I got into the tent yesterday, she was crying in her sleep. She had one of those dreams again. She said, 'Why, Josh?' in such a heartbreaking way that I'm very sure, this other Josh had hurt her very much. "  
"Tyler?"  
"Hm?"  
"Can it be that Georgiana's story reminds you of your own?"  
He knew he hadn‘t to fool Josh and so he answered, "Yes."  
Josh looked thoughtfully at his friend and said, "Please take care of yourself, okay?" Tyler nodded. He knew what his friend meant, and when he hugged him goodbye, he was immensely grateful to have a friend like him.


	12. I need to know that when I fail you'll still be here

He returned to Georgiana's tent and found her awake. " Good Morning. How are you, dear? "  
She smiled ruefully and replied softly," Good morning, Ty. I am so sorry that I was so nasty to you yesterday. "  
He waved off:" It’s okay, I shouldn‘t have pressed you "and sat on the edge of their bed. Then he felt her forehead, which was still glowing. Their eyes met and Georgiana couldn‘t hold back the tears anymore. Tyler cautiously hugged her and muttered, "Hey, it’s all right, ..."   
"No, it's not, Ty" she sobbed into his chest. "I,… I don‘t know what's this all about .."  
"What do you mean?" Her friend asked softly, stroking her back reassuringly. "These dreams and déjà-vus ... I don‘t know how to handle it. And Josh ... "Tyler realized that he had been right with his assumption, but he asked cautiously:" What‘s about Josh? "  
She broke away from him and looked ashamed in her lap. "I, ... I have probably developed romantic feelings for him, without considering that he may have no interest in me. And, and when I saw him yesterday with this beautiful young woman, I felt so terribly stupid. "  
"Was that why you were so far from the camp?" Tyler asked. "Yes. I just wanted to sort out my thoughts and really didn‘t realize that I was too far away. When you had to save me from Nico, I felt even more stupid. "  
" Please, don’t blame yourself because of that, okay? "her friend replied and stroked her cheek gently.  
"You know, the Josh of my dreams and Déjà-vus also had that warm, enchanting smile, like our Josh." A sad feature played around her lips as she continued, "I had another dream tonight, in which a rather lousy guy said, that Josh just played with me. The last thing I saw was Dreamjosh, who looked at me very sadly. "  
She was silent for a while, then added softly "Maybe all of this just means, that I didn’t deserve someone like Josh in any form of exsistence. "Her facial expression was tired and she leaned back in her pillows.   
He looked at her sympathetically and replied, "I wouldn‘t be so sure, in your place."  
She looked at him wide-eyed and asked, "What do you mean?"   
"Do you remember when I told you back in DEMA that dreams don‘t follow logic but carrying a truth in them?" His friend nodded. "Well, in most cases these dreams fade away the longer you are here and eventually they disappear altogether. In your case, they tend to increase and that has only one thing to say: someone from your old life is so attached to you, that he doesn‘t want to let you go."  
Georgiana was speechless.  
When she had caught herself again, she said uncertainly: I don‘t know, Ty ... who should be so attached to me? "  
"This, you have to find out on your own, unfortunately. However, you should allow yourself to think the impossible."  
She sighed and looked at him helplessly.  
Then her expression changed and she asked gently "Tyler, what your dreams were about?"   
He looked at her in surprise and for a moment a deep pain crossed his face before answering,  
"In a way, they were like yours. In my old life, I loved someone very much. I thought, she is feeling the same, until one day I realized that she hasn‘t. I was so devastated that I saw no meaning in my life anymore. Everything was just meaningless and stale. All I know is that at some point, everything turned black around me and I woke up in DEMA. For a while I still dreamed of her, but they weren‘t nice dreams. Then everything faded out. "  
Georgiana had taken his hand while he spoke and now pulled him into a hug. He could feel the heat of her body, which seemed to burn him. "I'm so sorry, Ty," she whispered softly. "You‘re a wonderful person, like Josh. If someone don‘t see it, he didn‘t deserve you."  
"Thanks" he replied softly and broke away from her embrace.

Georgiana was obviously at the end of her powers now. He gave her something to drink and left the tent shortly thereafter to get some food for her, but when he returned, she had already fallen into a deep fever sleep. He crushed the last antibiotic tablet they had in the camp and dissolved the powder in a glass of water, which he let her swallow slowly bit by bit. His mind wandered to Josh and he hoped that everyone would come back from DEMA safely.

Images flickered in Georgiana's mind, again. There was blood, so much blood ... lights and the siren of an ambulance ... so many voices whose words she didn‘t understand, but one stood out. The silky undertone could still be recognized, although she was full of panic and pain. "Georgie no, oh my god!" She heard before everything went black and quiet again.  
It seemed like an eternity before she realized something again. As if from far away, she heard the familiar silky voice that came to her ear softly, and was full of sadness. "Georgie, I'm so sorry ... I, I should have said much earlier what I feel for you ... I should never have given Brendon the chance to hurt you like that ... Please Georgie, come back ... I love you. "  
The last words went into a sob and got lost. The last thing she saw was Josh, who was heavily marked by his grief. His eyes had lost all their shine and he had dark circles under his eyes. His face had narrowed and a stubble-bear grew wildly in his face. Georgianas heart tore at the sight of his, but when she wanted to say something she was awakened by a turmoil.

There were shouts outside the tent, and several banditos ran excitedly past their tent. Georgiana hurried to get dressed although her body rebelled against every move and stepped in front of the tent. Seconds later, Tyler passed her tent also and she stopped him. "Ty, what's going on?"  
The bandito looked at her desperately and replied: "The bishops have Josh" Georgianas blood froze in their veins. "No!" She exclaimed in horror. "We have to rescue him, immediately! "She started to rush, but Tyler held her back. "Georgie, you're not really in the physical state for such a venture" "Do not tell me what I'm in shape for, Tyler! This is about Josh, and that's all that matters. Do you really believe that I will sit here while Josh is being tortured by these sadists ?! Josh came to rescue me, so it's up to me now, to do the same for him. "


	13. We'll win but not everyone will get out

Tyler realized that it was hopeless to dissuade Georgiana from participating in Josh's rescue, so he nodded and she escorted him to a group of banditos. Among them, she also recognized the beautiful young woman who had kissed Josh. Despair was drawn in her face. Without thinking, she approached her and said, "We will save Josh." She looked at her in surprise and replied, "How can you be so sure? The bishops may have killed him long ago. "  
"   
The bishops love to torture their victims. As cruel as it sounds, it is our chance that he is still alive." The young woman began to cry and Georgiana couldn‘t help but to hug her. "You can be sure that everyone here will do their best to save Josh." She nodded and pulled away from Georgiana's embrace. "Thanks" she said, adding "By the way, I'm Debby." "Georgiana"  
There was a smile on Debby's face and she replied, "Now I understand what Josh and Tyler meant when they said that you have an exceptionally warm-hearted way." Georgiana blushed and didn‘t know what to say. So she just smiled shyly back.  
The group began to move and arrived a little later the high walls of DEMA. The group split up to search for Josh. Debby and Georgiana went with Tyler, who was heading for Nicos Tower, while the other group wanted to control the dungeons under the infirmary.  
Already halfway up the stairs to Nicos rooms, they could hear cries of pain. Debby stifled a sob as they climbed the stairs faster, knowing that it was Josh, who was screaming.  
Tyler quietly opened the door and luckily Nico stood with his back to them. On the wall in front of him, Josh hung chained bloodstained against the wall. Before Tyler knew it, Georgiana shot past him, raised her bat, and shouted, "Hey Nico asshole, that's for Josh!" And hit him as hard as she could.  
The bishop rushed from his feet and he remained motionless on the floor. Tyler and Debby were immediately on Josh's side, who smiled happily despite his condition. They started to pull him off the wall and Georgiana kept an eye on Nico. For a moment she allowed herself to look at Josh and said: "I'm so glad we found you." He smiled at her, but from one moment to the other his smile froze and his eyes widened. Tyler and Debby stared in their direction also, but before she realized why, she was pierced from behind by a shortsword. A cold, pale hand clawed at her shoulder and she heard Lisden's dismissive voice: "So we meet again, 140219. That was your last disrespect" and he pressed the sword all the way into her back.  
She closed her eyes for a moment, but when she opened them again she whispered to the banditos: "Run" Then she turned with with her last strength, pulled Lisden's dagger out of the scabbard that he had hung on his belt and thrust the weapon into his chest. She tore the bishop to the ground with her, without letting go of the dagger. Blood began to drip down at a corner of her mouth as she said to the dying bishop, "Ditto. East is up, you bastard "then she collapsed and lay motionless beside Lisden.  
"We can‘t just leave her here!" Josh protested as Tyler and Debby dragged him down the stairs.   
"Josh, we have no choice. Georgie did that to give us plenty of time to escape, so don‘t let her sacrifice be vain“ countered Tyler, who was struggling to hold back his tears while Debby let hers loose.


	14. Cause I just won't let go 'til we both see the light

Georgiana was embraced by leaden darkness whose absolute silence seemed threatening. Her thoughts were with Josh and the other banditos. She hoped they'd made it and were on the way back to Trench.   
She started to get tired and the urge to close her eyes grew stronger and stronger. Just before doing so, she heard someone calling her name from far away. She wanted to get over it because she was so exhausted, but the pleading undertone in it made her change her mind.   
She looked around and saw a tiny spot of light in the distance, moving toward it. It was like approaching a sunrise. With the light, the warmth returned and the voice became clearer and clearer. Soon she realized that it was Josh's voice that repeatedly asked her to return.   
The light was glistening and she had to protect her eyes. She also heard the beeping of an ECG now, which now began to record an increased heartbeat. At the same time she felt a heaviness on her stomach. She blinked in confusion, and when she opened her eyes she looked at a white wall with a landscape painting on it.  
Then she looked down at herself and found the cause of the severity. Josh's head lay on top of her and he was fast asleep. His right hand held hers, which was covered with a thick bandage. She had to smile as she gently began stroking his feral hair with her left hand. "Jishwa, wake up" she said softly. It took a while for him to start stirring and he opened his eyes tiredly.   
Mentally he prepared himself for a discussion with the nurse, again but when he realized who smiled at him, he jumped up and hugged Georgie so stormy that he almost run her down from the bed.   
"Oh my god, you are awake! You're awake!!! I'm so happy !!!“ A door opened and a nurse came storming in. "Mr. Dun, what's up?"   
Now, he grabbed the nurse and whirled her around. "Georgie woke up!" and beamed at her. Georgie burst out laughing and even the sister couldn‘t help but laughing. "If you let me go now, Mr. Dun, I might look after your girlfriend." Josh looked uncertainly at Georgie for a moment about the title, but she made no attempt to correct the nurse's statement. After she had been examined by a doctor. They were alone again.  
Josh couldn‘t get enough of her. Then he said, "I'm so sorry, dear. I, I didn‘t want all of that to happen. I should have told you way earlier, about Brendon." She grimaced at the mention of his name.  
Josh squeezed her hand reassuringly and continued, "But you know what?! I'm really thankful for that. Otherwise, I would never have known that the only person who was worthy of being loved by me was around all the time. I hope you can forgive me my stupidity "  
She smiled warmly at him and said quietly, "Yes" and after a short pause, she added, "Can you forgive me my stupidity? and raised her bandaged arm. He leaned toward her, kissing her gently on the forehead and saying, "Darling, there's nothing to forgive."  
She smiled at him and tapped her hand on the bed. Josh was happy to accept her offer and lay down next to her. "I'll never let you go" he whispered in her ear as he put his arm around her and pulled her close. "Me neither" replied Georgiana quietly and a tear of joy ran down her face.  
A little later she heard Josh snoring softly and his warm breath tickled her neck. She chuckled softly, but in the end Josh's regular breathing rocked her back to sleep.


	15. We're driving toward the morning sun

The fire cracked softly and it was a moonless night as Tyler and Josh sat around the campfire. Tyler looked at his friend and asked, "What do you think? Did Georgie make it? "  
He thought for a while and replied:" I wish it with all my heart. "   
Tyler sighed, "Me too." Shortly thereafter, the bandito retired to his tent and went to sleep.  
He found himself at the campfire again, watching the dancing flames as suddenly a hand gently lay on his shoulder and someone sat down next to him. He did not really fancy company, but when he realized who was sitting next to him, he was more than surprised. "Georgie, what ..." But she put her index finger to his lips and he fell silent.  
She smiled warmly at him and said, "Ty, I did it. I am fine. But without your and Josh's help I wouldn‘t have been able to do it. I will always be thankful for that. And I'm especially grateful to you. You gave me the courage to think the impossible. Find the courage to do the same. "Tyler ran tears of emotion down his cheeks and Georgiana embraced him into a tight hug.  
" Tyler, you're special. Never forget that."  
Shortly thereafter, the bandito noticed how Georgiana slowly began to fade. But before she vanished completely, she said with a smile, "East is up!"   
"Yeah, east is up!" He repeated and a happy smile appeared on his sleeping face.

Georgiana awoke with gentle kisses that moved along her cheek. She opened her eyes and looked into two bright amber eyes that were full of love.  
"Come on love, time to get up. We‘ll go home."  
When the two walked outside the hospital, they were greeted by a bright day. Then Josh asked, suddenly "Love, what does' East is up 'mean?' She looked at him in surprise and he said," You said it in your sleep. " She smiled and pointed at the sun: "The sun rises in the east"  
"Yes, she does" Josh confirmed, "but I'm still confused." She smiled at him mysteriously and replied, "Someday, I'll explain the whole meaning behind to you."  
He smiled back, put his arm around her shoulder and replied, "It's okay. We have a whole lifetime of time.


End file.
